1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for laminating together pieces of sheet material with an adhesive for effecting a bond between the laminated sheets. The apparatus is useful in adhesively securing photographs, prints, drawings, etchings and other decorative or informational media to bases or backer board members of varying thickness and consistencies and is particularly useful in art and graphic make up and layout work wherein pressure sensitive adhesive materials are used for bonding together sheet materials of varying thickness, size and surface characteristics.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One prior art device comprises a photographic printer as shown in U. S. Pat. No. 3,043,204 which employs a glass pane for supporting sheet materials such as photographic film and the like and the sheets are held in place against the glass pane by means of a flexible rubber mat having a plurality of small protuberances distributed over the surface thereof. The area between the flexible rubber mat and the glass pane is evacuated for holding the photographic film in place against the glass pane. An apparatus in accordance with the present invention provides a new and improved system for laminating together pieces of sheet material with pressure sensitive adhesives and can accomodate sheets of varying thickness, size and surface textures.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved laminating device of the character described.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved laminating apparatus which is simple of construction, light in weight and easy to operate.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus of the character described wherein a flexible cover of transparent sheet material is provided to effect a pressure seal against the sheet material to be laminated together so that the sheets may be viewed at all times during the laminating process.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved laminating apparatus of the character described which is capable of handling several pieces of sheet materials of various different thicknesses and different sizes at the same time while providing a positive seal around the periphery of each sheet during the laminating process.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved laminating apparatus of the character described which can be fabricated mainly from molded plastic material with a minimum of metal components being required.
The foregoing objects and advantages of the present invention are accomplished in an illustrated embodiment thereof comprising a new and improved laminating apparatus for use in laminating sheet materials with pressure sensitive adhesive. The apparatus comprises a base of rigid plastic material having a flat upper surface formed with a plurality of spaced apart perforations distributed in a substantially uniform pattern over the surface. A support member having a flat upper surface is provided for supporting an underside of the base and is formed with a pattern including a plurality of concentric, interconnected grooves defined to lie in communication with many of the perforations in the base. Means such as a pump is provided for developing a partial vacuum in the grooves for evacuating fluid flow through the perforations around one or more pairs of sheet material which have been placed in contact with the upper surface of the base for lamination. A cover comprising a flexible, fluid impervious transparent sheet material is mounted on a hinged frame for movement between an open position away from the base and a closed position overlaying the base and covering the base and the pieces of sheet material placed thereon for lamination. A peripheral seal is provided around the periphery between the base and the impervious cover which then conforms to the size and thickness of the laminated sheet materials thereon when the cover is placed in the closed overlaying position. A vacuum pump is provided to pull a vacuum on the grooves in the support base so that the cover seals around the sheet materials and the pressure sensitive adhesive is activated by the atmospheric pressure acting through the cover on the pieces of sheet material together while in full view through the impervious transparent flexible sheet material of the cover. After the lamination process is completed with the adhesive set sufficiently, the vacuum is released and the cover is opened so that the laminated together sheets may be withdrawn from the apparatus.